HORNETS coach Martin Hall is working hard to strengthen his squad ahead of this weekend's top of the table clash with Salford City Reds.

Hall has been talking to several players about a move to Spotland and hopes to make an announcement later this week.

Unbeaten Hornets, playing their first home game since Easter Monday, will be without on-loan Salford stand-off Radney Bowker who will not be allowed to play against his own club.

And with the injured Casey Mayberry (pictured) and David Stephenson unlikely to figure, Hornets - with one of the smallest squads in the league - will be thin on the ground for this crucial game against third-placed Salford.

Oldham Rugby League Club say they have started procedures to terminate the contract of long-serving prop Jason Clegg. Littleborough lad Clegg, formerly of Bradford Bulls, is believed to be in touch with the Rugby League Players Association to fight his case.

Ambulance driver Clegg has been on an 11-week residential course at Bolton and has been unable to meet all of Oldham coach Steve Molloy's training demands.

Several clubs are understood to be interested in the blockbusting prop-forward, but the player has the right of appeal and 28 days in which to take up his case with club chairman Chris Hamilton and his fellow director Sean Whitehead.

Hornets' game at Hull KR on Sunday 20 July will kick-off at 3pm.

Rovers have been experimenting with 6pm kick-offs, but will revert to an afternoon kick-off for the visit of Hornets and the remainder of their home games from then on.

The re-arranged home game against Whitehaven has been given a provisional date of Saturday 5 July, the day before the Arriva Trains final. The game will kick off at 3pm.

Salford City Reds and Leigh Centurions won their respective Arriva Trains Cup semi-finals on Sunday and will now meet in the final at Spotland Stadium on Sunday 6 July, kick-off 3pm.

Wigan prop-forward Danny Sculthorpe, who learned his trade at Hornets, continues to receive rave reviews. Maurice Bamford wrote in Monday's League Weekly: "I couldn't believe my eyes when watching a recent Wigan game, as a feeling of deja-vu overwhelmed me. I actually saw a player who showed all the skills of the classic old-timers yet fitted perfectly into the modern game.

"The ability to slip the ball to a team-mate in a controlled move, while being tackled causes mayhem in any defence and Danny Sculthorpe has this ability in spades. To see this skill each week could actually lead me to take out a season ticket at the JJB. I said could.

"Keep it up Danny boy and you could find yourself in the red, white and blue with your kid." High praise indeed from Maurice who knows a thing or two about rugby league.